


The Curious Case of Liam Gallagher

by MysticallyGallavich



Series: Prompts for my lovelies [29]
Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Ian went to the army, Love, M/M, Post-Season3, Socialworker!Ian, TheyforgotLiam, angryian, fallinginLove, non-canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-23
Updated: 2018-01-30
Packaged: 2019-03-08 16:48:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13462407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MysticallyGallavich/pseuds/MysticallyGallavich
Summary: Prompt: No season 6. What if everybody kinda forgot about Liam? They didn't enroll him in school, he doesn't get new clothes, etc. Then one day he's just gone in the morning and nobody notices. A while later they realize that he was taken away by social services due to neglect and put in a foster home. It takes a while but they find him in another town being taken care of by Mickey, who runs the foster home. He takes in the kids from bad neighborhoods and gives them a safe place.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a lovely three-parter. Two of which are completed. and being posted together. I got this prompt once upon a time and have been working slowly on it. It is finally to a point where I know exactly where it's going. Let me know what you think. 
> 
> MUAH.

Ian walked into his childhood home, which really wasn't that long ago but it seemed to him to be a lifetime.  He heard the rustling and the madness and made his way into the living room. He was met with warm greeting and hugs from his siblings and the neighbors before he looks around. “Where's Liam?” He asks. When he had left for the army his brother had been three, edging close on four. Sure it had been a while since he had been home. And he wouldn't be home long if he could help it but he was curious. Everyone just kind of looked at him, blank stares.

 

“Upstairs or something” Fiona waves at the stairs and Ian kind of eyes her. Okay then. He just makes his way upstairs looking around. He doesn't know why he gets the feeling he does but he looks frantically and finds nothing. Not one trace of his little brother is anywhere. Besides old clothes that he's sure the kid hadn't worn since he had left there was nothing.

“Where is he fi?” He asks sternly. What in the hell had happened in this house since he had been gone?

“What are you talking about she asks?” She's staring blankly at the tv and honestly, she looks high as hell. He turns lip is on the couch, next to Frank drunk as fuck the both of them.  Debbie is rocking a baby in her arms. The fuck and Carl, where the hell is Carl?

 

“What about Carl? Where did he go? I just saw him a minute ago.”

 

“Date or something.” Fiona answers.that's the same attitude.

 

“The fuck happened to you fi? What happened that was so bad that you look coked out, lips drunk, Debbie's a mother, and Carl is god knows where, and Liam? When's the last time you actually saw Liam? Because there's no trace of him in this house. The stuff up there is from years ago. When is the last time you actually looked at our little brother in the face? Where the hell is he??!?” He finally screams because he's pissed off and confused and so many things are running through his head.

 

“You don't get to come in here and judge us, Ian?!?” She screams and he glares at her.

 

“Normally no. I don't. Because I've got my own shit. But fucking hell.” He says and storms out shaking his head.  He gets out his phone and looks down at a number but shakes his head and sticks his phone back in his pocket. He can do this on his own. He doesn't need help. And truthfully there was a chance that wherever his brother had gotten off to was a hell of a lot better than here but he had to know. Because that shit show that he had just seen was fucked.

 

He went to the alibi and various places around town over the next month and could find nothing. He stopped by the school to find that Fiona had never actually enrolled him in school. How long had he been missing? And after the second month, he picked up the fucking phone and called the only person that could help him but got voicemail.  “Yo, this is Mickey. Leave a fucking message huh?” He hears and he winces. God that voice after all these years gets to him the same way it did back then.

 

“Um hey, mick. It's Ian. I know it's been a while but I got back and I can't…I can't find Liam anywhere and I figured you might be able to help. Call me.” Ian says into the phone and hangs up. He needs to find his brother and make sure he's okay and then he's on the first bus out of this fucking town.

 

 

“What?” Mandy asks her brother as he looks down at his phone.

 

“I just got…a phone call….about Liam.” He says looking at her.

 

“They finally notice he's not there? It's been two years.” She says shaking her head.

 

“No. I mean someone did but it was….Ian.” He says softly.

 

“He's home?!?” She asks

 

“Guess so. Guess he came home and noticed that the kid was gone.”

 

“Why'd he call you?” She asks.

 

“I um…talk to him sometimes.rarely. In fact, haven't heard from him in a couple of years. Just a text every so often to let me know he's not dead. Whatever, he knows that I work with social services.” He answers and she nods.

 

“Gonna tell him?” She asks.

 

“Dunno. Have to see where his heads at first. I'm not gonna be apart of that kid going back into that house the way he left it.” Mickey says and she nods understanding. If there was one thing she knew about her brother since getting out of that fucking town. He would never put any kid back in a bad situation. Especially not Liam who he had an extremely soft spot for.

 

 

Mickey: I'll be in town on Friday. We can talk.

Ian: are you gonna help me find him?

Mickey: talk. No promises.

Ian: okay thank you.

 

\----------

 

Ian waits for Mickey on Friday with his head in his hands.  He hasn't been back to the shitshow that is the Gallaghers in a couple of days. Last he saw them, Monica had shown up and he had gotten the fuck out of there when his siblings just let her in, no fucking questions. What the fuck had happened to them.  What had broken in them while he was gone?  What had become of the life he had once known.

 

He had thought when he came home that he would only have one thing to fix, one thing that he had thrown away or that had thrown him away, whatever, but Mickey seemed to be the only person that got his shit together in the last six years. His family had lost their minds and he had too for a time. he watched the time on his phone, hoping Mickey would hurry.  He had to take his meds, but he sure as hell didn't want anyone to see him do it.  But he could not and would not go off schedule again.

 

"hey." He hears from behind him and he turns to look Mickey in the face.

 

"Hi," Ian says. 

 

"Good to see you didn't get anything blown off over there? it's been what...?"

 

"Six years."

 

"Tours get shorter?" Mickey asks curiously.

 

"No. Honorable discharge."  Mickey raises his eyebrows.  "Don't look at me like that. It was, I'm not Awol or anything. They ain't looking for me. we just came to an agreement. It was better for me if I took the honorable discharge and kept up my promises and they wouldn't have to chase my crazy ass down."  Ian shrugs.  he didn't mean to say that, to Mickey. But he couldn't help it, wanted to tell him everything but then would he help him?  would he help him find Liam if he knew that he was fucking mental?

"What kind of promises?" Mickey asks curiously.

 

"To stay on my meds." fuck. fucking word vomit.

 

"What meds Ian?" Mickey looks over concerned. "Are you okay?"

 

"I'm fine." Ian nods.

 

"But meds?  you weren't on meds before right?" Mickey asks, and Ian can tell he's trying to remember.

 

"no, only been on them for the last couple of years. well, consistently at least." Ian shrugs.

 

"Oh, but you're okay? I know you think I don't care...But I do." Mickey says almost weakly.

 

"It's not that. It's just....I'm physically fine Mick, but if I tell you, what if you won't help me find Liam? what if you don't understand and think I'm crazy...because I am a little." Ian hangs his head.

 

"Fuck, what is it?  Okay, I promise I'll help you, I will help you find him, you just can't take him back there okay? promise me you won't take him back there Ian?" Mickey pleads and Ian nods.

 

"I'm Bipolar. Like...."

 

"Monica." Mickey finished because he knows.  he's done a lot of research on a lot of things in his work. 

 

"Yeah, like fuckin Monica," Ian says and Mickey shakes his head.

 

"you ain't that bitch okay?"  Mickey says softly, or as soft as Ian imagines that Mickey gets.

 

"You know where he is," Ian says confidently. The way Mickey made him promise. Mickey was here.  "You were here when they took him. or you took him.  What happened?" He asks because he knows now. that look on his face.  Mickey saved Liam somehow.

 

"Look, it got bad around here after you left.  I mean it's always bad. but your family...I don't know.  I left, after a while. but I mean, I wanted to be better...for you, for other reasons. So I got into this. Taking children in that need me, giving them better than I had, placing them in homes.  I got...Got a call a couple of years ago. My blood ran cold ian."  Mickey explains.

 

"Liam."

"First he fucking takes her coke, like on accident or whatever and well okay, its the southside I get it, but when I showed up, Liam was just all alone man.   I watched, the best thing about being me is I can show up on the southside and just watch and nobody thinks anything of it because I am fuckin southside.  So I watched for a while. You have to know that Ian. I wouldn't take your brother away from your family without a good fucking reason." Mickey runs his hands through his hair and Ian wants to reach out and touch him but he doesn't

"So I watch.  and Lip is gone a lot for school, I mean for a while after the accident with the coke, he practically made the kid his tag along but this was a few years later. and he was always gone.  Debbie was busy getting herself knocked up, and Carl was in and out of juvy, at the time anyway.   and Fiona...The pilar, the one that was supposed to take care of him, well. She's didn't even notice him most of the time.  She didn't go get him clothes or feed him, she didn't even enroll him in school. Nothing.  He saw me one day, and he practically flew into my arms man. He looked so alone.  I couldn't not do something."  Mickey says sadly as if it kills him to admit that to Ian.

 

"Thank you," Ian says.

 

"What?" Mickey looks up unsure if he had heard him.

 

"Thank you for protecting my brother. I wasn't here for anything, and I couldn't and I don't know what all happened. but I saw it. I walked in there, and they didn't even notice he was gone. told me he was upstairs or some shit. I go up there and I know, there's no way he has been there in a long time. They didn't even notice."  Ian says sadly.

 

"I'm sorry man, but he's good now.  He um, he seems happy and shit. if that helps."  Mickey says looking around.

 

"Can I see him, let him know at least one of us gives a damn," he says and Mickey nods.

 

"Yeah. Don't say anything to the others okay?  but I'll have someone come and get you tomorrow."

 

\-------------------------

 

ian spent the night away from his family, not like they cared, they obviously didn't care about anything but themselves anymore.  How could they not notice Liam? How...He tossed and turned that night thinking about how things had changed. How his family had become what they had and what Mickey had done with himself since he left. It was amazing how things could change in this short time, that wasn't really as short as it seemed in the end.

He showed up the next day where Mickey told him to go, and he was met by a man. Who was this? “Ian?” the man asks and Ian nods and he motions for him to follow him into the car.  Not like it wasn’t creepy as hell but he trusted Mickey, with his life. He trusted him with everything in him, so he went.  He watched out the window as they left the south side.  As a part of the northside that he never thought he’d find Mickey in, but here they were pulling up into a huge estate. 

The man disappeared and out walked Mandy. She smiled at him and he stared at her shocked. “Well Ian Gallagher, as I live and fucking breathe.” And she smiles at him and he walks to her.

 

“God, it’s so good to see your face.” He says.

 

“Uh huh, stay in touch with my brother and not me. I’m offended.”  She says crossing her arms but she has a playful smile on her lips and he smiles at her.

 

“I love you Mands.” He says pulling her into a hug and she smiles.

 

“Let's go in shit head.” She says.  And they walk into the house that he was sure he would have never pictured the Milkovich siblings in, but it doesn’t take long to see that this isn’t a house, there are children in a large room as they pass, laughing and playing and he looks over at his best friend. 

 

“this is it isn’t it? Is Liam here?” he asks.  Mickey had once told him about the building he had gotten to start what he was doing. Helping kids much like himself, keeping them safe, and here it was, and above all of that, his little brother was probably here, and maybe a lot happier than he had been at home. And Ian felt like an asshole right then. How could he have abandoned his little brother, how could he have abandoned Mickey, for the fucking army?

 

Mandy just smiles lightly at him. “Glad you’re here.” He hears from behind him and turns to see Mickey and he sucks in a deep breath. No matter how long it has been, Mickey will always be the place he wants to be, but he can’t have that right now. That’s not why he’s here so he just smiles lightly and Mickey shakes his head, pulling him into a hug.   “good to see you’re okay.”


	2. Chapter 2

They talk for a while, about anything and nothing. Falling back into place is easy for them. Easy.  But that’s not what this about, this is about Liam.  This is about getting his little brother back home, or somewhere with him, this is about seeing his brother, not about falling hopelessly and helplessly in love with Mickey all over again.

“Hey guys, Liam will be down in a minute, Just remember it's been a long time,” Mandy says and Ian nods at her. Will his brother remember him, will he think he abandoned him like the others. He isn’t sure of anything right now, he felt so damn guilty.

“don’t do that Ian. It isn’t your fault. You left him in what you thought were capable hands. She raised all of you, and she did the best she could, you never considered that things would drastically change while you were away and that isn’t on you. I wanted to tell you, you know when you texted, but I didn’t want to take the chance.” Mickey said in hoping that his ex, whatever he was understood him still.

“I know, I get it. I probably wouldn’t have believed what I just saw, until I saw it and if you had caught me before I was…stable, I don’t know what I would have thought about or done about it really. I  am unsure of all of it. You did what you had to do. I'm glad you got out and did better than what you were given. I am.” Ian says honestly and he looks into Mickey’s eyes and he just stares for a while, looking at what he used to know about the boy that is a man now. What he never knew and he wondered a lot of things, not just about him but about everything. He had been so gone, and cut off and he just felt like he was a different person and they all were really. A part of him longed for those days when he knew his family and what they were when he was close to Mickey even in the shadows.

Ian waited patiently for Liam to be brought down to him, he chatted with Mickey while they waited, and he tried not to recall their past. How amazing it had all felt even back then. Finally, he was pulled out of his very self-destructive thoughts by two boys coming around the corner and one of them was Liam.  Liam and his friend approached curiously. Liam seemed to tilt his head a bit and his eyes widened as if a little recognition set in him, and he looked over at Mickey, looking into his eyes for an answer and Ian turned as he saw Mickey nod at him before speaking.

“Liam, you remember Ian…your brother. Right? He has come to visit you.” He says softly.

“Why now?” the little boy asked. There was no bite in the tone, more hurt than anything else. Ian knew that he didn’t understand any more than Ian did what had happened to their family, why nobody had cared enough to come find him after he was gone. And why Ian was here now. Wold Liam remember that Ian had eft before he did? Would he know that Ian would never leave him?  Would he know any of it? Probably not, after all Ian never thought any of his other siblings cold become what he had witnessed, so he supposed none of that really mattered anyway.

“I..um…I just got home, I don’t know what you remember but I went away... for a while, and when I got home and saw you gone, I just had to find you, ya know? Thankfully Mickey is an old friend.” He rambled on and only slightly calm when Mickey placed his hand on Ian’s knee.

“Will you make me go back?” Liam asked, and Ian saw the fear in his eyes. He would kill his family for this. For making that poor sweet boy feel unwanted. The Gallaghers had been many things over the years. But the siblings were never uncaring and they always took care of each other. In a life where they couldn't count on their sorry excuse for parents, they could always count on each other. Where had it all gone wrong? Ian didn’t know but he was sure as fuck going to figure it out before it was too late.

 

“No buddy. Not if you don’t want to. I just wanted to see you. Make sure you were okay. Visit.” Ian tried to convey that he would not make him go back to that house until he was ready. And even then he wasn’t sure he would. He, however, would be giving that family of his a piece of his own mind, because what he saw in Liam's eyes was breaking his heart. “Who’s your friend?” Ian asked curiously. The kid fr some reason rang familiar, but he couldn't quite place a finger on it.  Liam looked over at Mickey and tilted –is head once again.

  
“Ian…Meet Yevgeny Milkovich…My son.” He spoke and Ian went slack-jawed. Sure he knew Mickey had a kid, all too well. It had been a big reason as to why Ian had enlisted in the army in the first place. But in the many times, he had spoken to Mickey, he had never mentioned his wife, and only his own child a few times. But he realized that he had mentioned him, bt he just never told him that’s who he was talking about. Ian had assumed it was one of the shelter kids. He didn’t know why? Maybe he just didn’t like to think of that part f mickey. The Mickey that he had watched be forced, not only to have sex with a woman he didn’t want but to marry her and he a husband and a father. It still made him sick, and he saw the worry on Mickey’s face. Ian could only imagine what he looked like in that moment.

\--

  
“Right. Nice to meet you Yev.Geny? “ He asked and Mickey nodded at him. 

“It’s a mouthful ain't it. Ex-wife named him.” He stated, emphasizing the ex so that Ian would understand, that wasn’t who he was anymore. He wasn’t the guy that hid from everything he was and would ever be. Sure he had let Ian go back then, and he made his choices but Svet was long gone now, and it was just he and his son.  Mandy, of course, was around, and Liam stayed with them most of the time. That was their tiny little unit. He wondered how much of that Ian wanted to be a part of. And he prayed Ian stayed true to his word and left Liam here. At this point, he knew the kid wasn’t ready to face his family again. Not until they cold show him that they gave a damn about him. and on the other hand, Mickey did give a shit. 

Not only because of Ian, that might have been a huge part of how this started, but that is not where he was at now. He was sure of that much. He loved Liam like family, and he wanted him safe and happy. As happy and safe as he wanted his own son.

\--

For the remainder of the day Mickey watches Ian talk and play with Yev and Liam and he smiles. He wonders what thing would have been like had Ian stayed? It doesn't really matter much now but he can't help but wonder.  It's starting to get late and he can see the boys yawning, so he nods.  He excuses himself to go talk to the staff and Mandy to make sure things are taken care of for the night.  When he returns, Ian is now sitting in the big chair and the boys are in his lap listening to him talk.

“Hey boys, it’s that time.” He says and the kids look up and pout. He can tell they don’t want Ian to leave, they had a lot of fun with him today. Mickey chuckles.

“Ian, would you like to come over, and put the monsters to bed with me?” Mickey chuckles. And Ian looks at him curiously.

“Come over?” He asks.  Mickey smirks and raises his eyebrows. Ian decides he kinda missed those facial expressions.

“Me and little man one and two have our own place. Don’t we boys?” He says and the boys nod excitedly. Ian can tell they are super proud of that fact.

Ian smiled as he walked into the apartment, it was small but it was perfect. It was clean, cleaner than anything they had ever grown up with, Everything seemed to be put in its place. The boys even took off their jackets and handed them to Mickey because they couldn’t reach the tall coat hanger by the door.  Mickey was domestic…he had never thought, it actually kind of made him sad to think of, because this version of Mickey was a version he had once dreamed of.  He watched as the boys moved around the apartment in what was apparently a routine.

“Okay, we will go get clothes ready. Me first?” Yev says looking at his father and Mickey smiles at his little boy.

“Yes, buddy. I’ll start the water, Liam get your clothes laid out on the bed, so you can chat with Ian until Yev is out of the bath.” He says and Liam nods making his way to his room.

“Wow. I can't believe he lives here with you. That’s amazing Mickey.”

“I like the kid. ‘sides, He’s family.” Mickey says looking at his one-time lover. He is about to say something, maybe tell him he missed him, but Liam comes out and Yev calls for him and he gets up. “Gotta supervise, the kid is a mess sometimes. Liam, keep Ian company yeah?” He says and The kid nods and sits next to his brother.

\--

Ian sits and listens as Liam tells him about his life. He was so grown up now, but still very much a child, and Ian smiled, because Mickey had saved him. He really had.

“Can I ask…what it was like? After I left. You don’t have to tell me if its too much.” Ian says softly and Liam looks down but he lifts his head again and starts to tell Ian everything. He tells him that there was something left out that he got in, he says he doesn’t really remember it, but that he remembers them talking about it. He says Fiona went away for a while, and came back. “She was Fiona for a while again but then she started leaving, and Lip was away at school.” He says explaining. He didn’t both explaining where Debbie and Carl were, because it wasn’t their responsibility at the time, they were barely teenagers, growing up themselves. They were all at fault now, but they might not have been then. He doesn’t say anything he just listens as he talks about, how they stopped doing the joint effort and started to fend for themselves, which meant Liam was left behind because he was so young. He doesn’t seem angry, just like it was the way things were and Ian was angry, at his whole family, a family who still didn’t notice he was gone. But he was even more mad at himself.

“Liam…I am so sorry. I didn’t know and I left…I may not have been there to see it, but I still left. I should have let you know you could always count on me. I should have done something.” He says sadly.  Liam just looks at him and climbs onto his lap giving him a hug.

“But you did. Mickey came and got me. He said you sent him.” He says and Ian smiles. Mickey told him that probably to make sure he knew to trust him but he still kept telling him that. He didn’t know what to say to that, he just held his brother tight, until Mickey came to get him.

\--

Over the next few weeks Ian and Mickey get closer, Ian learns the routine and becomes a part of it. He stays in the apartment with Mickey and sleeps on the couch no matter how many times Mickey offers for him to share the bed like it's not a big deal, but to Ian it is, because every moment, every small touch, makes Ian want more. They are friends, there is no yelling and fighting like before, and Ian swears that almost more than once, he can feel the tension in the air, and he swears that they almost kiss a few times, but he controls himself.  No matter how hard it is, he controls himself.  He doesn’t want to ruin this, spending time with his brother, and Yev and Mickey.

With every day that passes he knows he has to go back home because he is ready to kill his siblings. He wants to make sure Mickey knows that he isn’t taking Liam with him, that he isn’t bringing them here.

“Mick I need to talk to you.” He says after Mickey puts the boys to bed.

“You’re going back…” Mickey says knowingly.

“I need to, those fuckers…I have things to say to them. Don’t worry I'm not taking him away, or telling them where to find him, not like they’d give a shit. But I have some things they need to fucking hear.”  Mickey nods as Ian speaks and steps closer to him.

“Are you coming back?” he asks.

“Of course I am,” Ian says leaning to him. “If you’ll have me, that is.” He questions.

Mickey answers by leaning in and placing a small kiss on Ian’s lips.

Ian instinctively pulls Mickey in for a deeper kiss. Finally after all this time, feeling his lips on his.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian has some choice words for his siblings and goes back home to Mickey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, shameless season is OVER...sorry to say it...but thank god. Now to drown myself in fanfiction. :D 
> 
> It has begun.

Chapter three: 

Ian made his way to the southside, walking up to that gate and stilling, to take a breath. He was beyond angry still, especially everytime Liam recounted to him how things had been while he was gone. he was pissed off.  That didn’t change when he walked into the house and saw an old-fashioned Gallagher party going on. No cares in the world. Even Frank was sitting on the couch drinking it up. What the fuck? 

He slams the door behind him. 

Fiona looks up but seems to not care that he is there, not that it surprises him. After all the things he's learned, nothing does.  She downs her beer and continues to dance, some guy at her side.  The only one missing is Lip, but that is only for a moment, when Lip comes in the back door, beer under his arms, and he smiles at the sight of Ian. They all continue to party and Ian can't help but be plagued by the memories of his childhood, and as bad as that was, this was so much worse.  He can't help what he does next, he grabs a beer bottle and throws it at the wall by the radio. Everything comes to a halt. 

"Ian...What the Fuck!?!" Fiona yells.

"You know...I've been saying the same thing since I got home. What the fuck to the whole lot of you. WHAT THE FUCK?!" He screams throwing a glass from the table against the wall. He would break everything in this fucking house if he had to. 

"What's your damage man?" Carl asks from the floor. 

"You all seem to be having a great fucking time here, yeah? Living high up on the montain...just like they always did. You all have become him." He says pointing at Frank who is sitting on the chair, fucked up out of his gord. 

"The fuck are you talking about?" Lip says offended. If anybody would be offended by that implication, it would be Lip. 

"Really? You are all sitting around high, or drunk or whatever the fuck. What happened to this fucking family?  I leave to go to the army, and I come back, and its all shit. We were a family, Us, not Monica and Frank but us, we looked out for each other!!? How many times did we protect each other and care for each other, HOW MANY FUCKING TIMES?" He screamed, looking at his siblings who were obviously dumbstruck. Still. 

"This about the Liam thing?" Debbie asked, remembering the last time her brother was there. 

"The Liam thing??? Are you fucking kidding me?  You all forgot he even existed, What happened to the family that stood up to Monica and wouldn’t let her take him, huh? What happened to them? Because the family I am looking at right now is not my fucking Family.  The only person here who hasn’t changed is fucking frank. And the rest of you turned into him." He glares. They are all rolling their eyes. 

"Fiona...What happened to the sister that carried me for blocks to get me help, who made sure I was fed and clothed, The same sister who used to stay up at night, crying because she just wanted to be able to do it all.  How about you Lip...your so fucking smart...how come you of all people didn’t notice that there's a member of your family missing. Huh? Your baby brother Liam...he isn't in his room or at a friend's, he is gone. He has been gone for a long fucking time.  Any of you notice that? Notice that one day Liam just wasn’t here anymore." He said angrily. If Mickey hadn't found him, who knows what would have happened to his brother. He was so angry that he was shaking. 

"Liam is fine," Debbie says looking up, and there was something in her eyes, something that was saying not to give it away. She knew. 

"Debs." He started looking at her. She shook her head. 

"What was that? Do you know something, Debbie?" Fiona asks, suddenly aware of the conversation. 

"No...He's just, he's fine. Ian leave it alone." Debbie says getting up and walking outside. He would deal with that later. 

"I can't believe all of you. She's right, he's fine. Because he was taken away from the whole lot of you. And you won't get him back. Ever. I don’t know what the hell you have all done with my siblings. The ones I love and cherish, but you are not them. You are him." Ian shakes his head sighing. "And I thought I was the one that got the fucked up Monica genes. But shit...you all have me beat, but a long fucking shot." He says and he walks out the door. Slamming it behind him. 

He is by the park before he see's Debbie sitting on the swings. 

"Mind telling me what that was?" He asks and she looks up. 

"It's easier when you don't mention him, ya know? That way they won't remember and go find him." She says sadly. 

"You knew he was gone?" He asks her and she nods. 

"Who do you think made the call." She says lowering her head. "I know its horrible, it's not what we do, we stick together. Gallagher's against the world...and our parents, but...I had to do something Ian. You cant tell them. They rarely notice and when they do...I make up something." 

'You know where he is?" Ian asks. She shakes her head. 

"Not exactly, but I know he's safe. I called...He'll keep him safe." She says and he knows. Mickey hadn't told him...he had told him everything but that...Debbie had called him. He nods. 

"Debbie. They have to know. Not where he is, never where. But they need to see what they've become. If they don't come back from this...They have become them. And I more than any of you know how terrifying that actually is." He says and she nods. 

"Well, they got the message I'm sure.  Just don't...Ya know. Tell them, about me." She says and he nods. 

"Hey debs." He says as she gets up. 

"yeah?" She asks turning back around. 

"He is good. Liam. He is safe." He says to her, so she'll know and she smiles. 

"And Mickey?" She asks knowing. 

"He's kind of amazing too." 

\--

Ian can't wait to get the fuck out of the southside, so he heads back as soon as the daylight approaches the next day. He collapses on the couch when he finally arrives and Mickey chuckles looking up. 

"Where are Liam and Yev?" He asks looking around. 

"Mandy has them down at the home. Gotta have some quiet sometimes. Handfull." He says chuckling himself. 

"Yeah...try a house full of Gallaghers." He sighs rubbing his hands on his face. 

"How was that?" Mickey says moving to the couch.  Ian groans. 

"Fucking....they are turning into the worst versions of themselves. I want to help them, but I have to help Liam more." He says and he notices Mickey tap him and when he looks over, Mickey is motioning for him to turn. So he does. Mickey starts to rub his shoulders, which he is shocked by, but he just closes his eyes and falls into it.  "You didn't tell me Debbie is the one that called you." 

"I figured she'd tell you if she wanted you to know," Mickey says still massaging. 

"That's so good," Ian says at his aching muscles.  Mickey paused for a minute and leaned in and placed a kiss on Ian's exposed neck. 

"Wha..." 

"Missed you," Mickey says as if it explains everything away.  Sure they had kissed before he left, but there was something in the air, something that surrounded them both, as Ian turned around to look at Mickey. It was all in his eyes, which amazed him. There it was. Back when he was a teenager he had searched and searched for that look in Mickey's eyes, but he was always trying to hide it, shy away from what they could be. Right now, however, he wasn’t doing any of that, he was like an open book, baring all the parts of him for Ian to see.  Ian was in a trance, this was a dream, this couldn’t be real. He would wake up any minute, and it would all be a dream. 

He would be somewhere far away from Chicago, stuck with random texts from Mickey, not looking into his eyes, the hardness of those eyes that he knew so well was gone, and it was replaced by a softness, a loving, wonderful softness. Mickey reaches out to touch Ian's face and he smiles, as Ian slowly turns his whole body to him. Ian can't help but pull Mickey closer, needing to feel him, not willing to let this moment go if it was going to pass, he was sure as hell going to take it all in while it was here with him. 

Mickey seemed to contemplate something, but then he stood up and held out a hand. Ian raised an eyebrow looking at Mickey curiously. 

"You have ten seconds Gallagher. Come with me, or I'm starting without you." He said smirking and Ian shook his head. There he was...This new version of Mickey still held the man he fell in love with and a softer more beautiful him as well. Ian thought in that moment, it was the perfect mix of the things that were and the things that are. He stood up and followed Mickey into the room. 

With the way Mickey had been acting, he had expected a soft, gentle kind of kiss when he walked in that room. But suddenly when the door closed...There was a fire that surrounded Mickey, it was in his eyes, it was on his skin, it was everywhere. And suddenly, Ian was being pushed against the wall and being kissed, hard and rough. How amazing it felt not to have to ask for those kisses.  It wasn’t long until he was being pushed down onto the bed. He didn’t even have time to concentrate or move. Mickey was undressing himself, and pulling clothes off of Ian. Even when Ian went to move, ready to have, what he hadn't had in so long. Mickey shook his head. 

"Don't move. I got you. I mean it." Mickey warned, Ian leaned back waiting for what was to come, that relaxing pose didn’t last long, when he felt the heat from Mickey seating on top of him, and there he was, Mickey Milkovich, after all the time, perfect, beautiful, amazing, Mickey Naked and on top of him. 

He watched Mickey move. For a second, he wondered who had brought out the softer side to Mickey, but he shook his head, it wasn't the time, right now Mickey was his all his, as he moved at a perfect pace, and called Ian's name, Ian was moaning, and he bucked up suddenly. He couldn’t help it. That ass was just so fucking perfect for him. 

Mickey just smirked, and they moved together, wrapping themselves up in each other, making love, the hard fast motions slowed and they looked at each other, lips gravitating towards each other, connecting, like their bodies already were. 

\--

Ian wrapped his arms around Mickey as they lie together after. 

"You are not pulling that sleeping on the couch bullshit anymore," Mickey stated and Ian chuckled. 

"I'm not going anywhere Mickey...I..." He starts and takes a breath. 

"I know Ian...Me too." He says turning to kiss him.  "Now shut up, It's the one night I get without screaming children." He says closing his eyes. 

"Oh yeah...Use me for my body." Ian jokes. 

"Well, it's a nice body," Mickey says and Ian wraps his arms tighter around his lover, and they fall asleep. 

\--

It took all of ten minutes for Mandy to figure out that they were basically back together. The kids were eating breakfast, and she was rushing through ins and outs of the home, and Ian came out of the room. Pants hung low on his waist, bite marks littered all over his chest.  

"Uncle Ian, did someone hurt you?" Yev asked and Mickey started laughing. 

"Not at all buddy." He says kissing him on the head. 

"Uncle Ian is a clutz," Mickey says laughing. He gets elbowed gently by Ian, and they both laugh. That alone was enough to give something away but they had been flirting for weeks. It was when Ian leaned down a little and Mickey turned his head to let his lips meet Ian's that it was apparent to everyone in the room, even the children that everything had changed. 

Yev groaned at his dad making out in front of him but recovered quickly. 

"So Ian's staying then?" Mandy says and Iand and Mickey both flip her off. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompts, requests, anything really, directed to MysticallyGallavich @tumblr. Or ya know anywhere you know to find me really. :P 
> 
> If you are waiting for something and you think I forgot you, send me a message. :P 
> 
> Much love my lovelies.

**Author's Note:**

> as always Mysticallygallavich over on tumblr, always accepting prompts.
> 
> :P


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